Richardson: Signs of life abound in the 'dead' coastal town of Sunbury, Ga.
For a ghost town, the inviting coastal village of Sunbury, Ga., is not doing a very good job of being abandoned.
Don't get me wrong. If you come looking for a bustling beachfront resort with amenities and attractions, you will be sorely disappointed. Sunbury is just an hour from Bluffton and mere minutes from downtown Savannah, but it might as well be a million miles away when it comes to the hustle and bustle of modern life.
Sunbury is a small hamlet on the edge of the Medway River and is tucked between emerald Sea Islands where the Atlantic Ocean laps wide beaches. In Sunbury, the tide fills endless marshes, fish and shrimp pop in the water and stately, moss-covered live oaks enshroud simple lovely homes, sandy streets and the lonesome stones of a colonial cemetery.
This old burying ground is the last vestige of a once-thriving port that stood to rival Savannah as a gateway to the verdant interior -- but it was all lost in the fire and fear of a long-ago war. But that's just it. Sunbury is not necessarily a destination where you can come to "do" something. Sunbury is more a destination where simply to "be" is part of the enjoyment.
"Why would people come to Sunbury?" asks Eric Pekarski, a resident. "Well, this is an immediate and close-by escape for anyone who wants the quiet life." Pekarski had been kind enough to pause his lawn mowing to consider the stranger who stood before him. He seemed to be fully immersed in the quiet life of Sunbury and had come south from Pennsylvania many years ago to find it.
This state of being is not dissimilar to a familiar phrase I have heard nearly all my life about a certain little South Carolina coastal village being a "state of mind."
Like Bluffton, Sunbury's main business -- or what exists of it -- is tied to the sea and the history of the land around it. Aside from fishing and rentals, the main enterprise seems to be the colorful Sunbury Crab Co. This eclectic-looking seafood restaurant sits high above the storm tide and is a wonderful destination for good seafood, good music and good spirits. My server was quick to point out that not only was the place popular with locals, but that she often met visitors from as far away as New York.
Founded in 1758 with the promise of being a vital trading center, Sunbury was destroyed by an occupying British Army during the Revolution. It never fully recovered, and the shipping and trade diminished to almost nothing for over 200 years.
However, beauty of place, the remoteness of a sheltered coast and the desire of people to slow down, check out and enjoy life amidst the vast beauty of the coastlands made Sunbury a ghost town that wouldn't truly die.
When you visit, be sure to enjoy the pace of life set by the locals.
Recently I explored Sunbury by bicycle. With the sandy streets whispering beneath my tires and warblers darting among the trees above, I allowed Sunbury to sink in.
From the old cemetery to the public fishing dock, interpretive signs told the history of the area and locals noticed me with a nod and even a smile.
Adjust your speed limit, block off an afternoon, turn off the cellphone, and you too can experience the state of being that is Sunbury.
Bluffton resident Matt Richardson enjoys taking day trips with his family and exploring the Lowcountry. To see more pictures from his adventures, go to https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=greenkayak73 . He can be reached at greenkayak73@gmail.com.
This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 2:45 PM with the headline "Richardson: Signs of life abound in the 'dead' coastal town of Sunbury, Ga.."